1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for mixing audio signals and more specifically to an event-drivable matrix that permits reconfigurable mixing N audio sources into M audio outputs via programming.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that audio recordings, including movie soundtracks are recorded on a plurality of channels and mixed together post production to produce the final sound track. It is also known to perform “dubbing” . . . a process by which voices of actors or other audio information may be replaced in the soundtrack subsequent to the original shooting. This may involve a substitution of voices of the actors shown in the video portion of the media program by different performers speaking a different language, or the same performers in the same language, but with altered dialog or replace substandard production recorded dialog. This is known as automated dialog replacement or additional dialogue recording (ADR). Music may also be dubbed into the media program after editing is completed.
In typical film production, a production sound mixer records dialogue during filming. Undesirable noise from the recording process (from equipment, traffic, wind, and the overall ambiance of the surrounding environment) can cause undesirable sound for the end product. These problems can be solved with a post production process in which a supervising sound editor or ADR supervisor reviews all of the dialogue in the film and decides which lines will have to be re-recorded. ADR is also used to change the original lines recorded on set in order to clarify context, or to improve the actor's diction and timing.
For animation such as computer-generated imagery or animated cartoons, dialogue can be recorded in advance or to a pre-edited version of the show. Although the characters' voices are recorded in a studio, ADR may still be necessary if members of the cast cannot all be present at once, or if dialog changes are necessary.
ADR is recorded during an ADR session, which takes place in an ADR sound studio. The actor, usually the original actor from the set, may be shown the scene in question along with the original sound, following which he or she attempts to recreate the performance as closely as possible. Over the course of multiple re-takes the actor may repeatedly perform the lines while watching or listening to the scene, and the most suitable take will make it to the final version of the scene.
This process is time consuming and involves a lot of activity that can overload the person operating as the ADR mixer. And if the ADR mixer requires excessive time to set up, queue, and record the retakes, the performers can lose the flow of the dialog and/or become irritated with the post production process. Also, all of the individuals and equipment involved in the ADR process can be expensive, particularly the actors and producers. What is needed is a system that reduces the load on the ADR mixer and allows the ADR process to be completed rapidly, yet providing each of the players (the ADR mixer, the performer(s), the sound editor(s) and the producer(s) the information they desire.
Typical ADR systems of today are also limited in what they can accomplish. For example, an ADR system may provide a particular actor with portions or all of the sound track that is temporally before the point where the new dialog is to be included (ahead), where the dialog is to be included (in) or after where the new dialog is to be included (past). If the ahead portion of the sound track includes street noise and ambience, and the new portion of the sound track does not, the result would be that the performer would hear their own voice during the “in” portion of the sound track, but with such substantially different ambience or background noise so as to startle the performer. While it may be possible to solve this problem by eliminating ambience and street noise from all portions of the sound track (ahead, in and past), this would deny the performer with ambience information that may contribute to the performance. What is needed is a system that permits special effects such as ambience to be included into sound outputs that are provided to the actors and other participants for queuing purposes.
It is also desirable for the ADR mixer to be able to communicate the output of the ADR/mixing process to remotely located persons at or near real time, thus allowing someone at a remote location to judge the quality of the ADR process or mix.
The present invention satisfies these needs.